Rod bundle transfer device



.Dec. 14, 1943. J. JACKSON ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR C/(SON bl flflornsy damn/4 Z.

Filed March 26, 1942 Dec. 14, 1943. JACKSON ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1942 INVENTOR NM MK QQN NM .DN QEN IIII EMHH nnv LQIII I llu Dec. 14, 1943. JACKSON 2,336,614

ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE Filed March 26, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 34, 1943 NirEn sr'rEs OFFICE 2,336,614 Ron BUNDLE TRANSFER nnvrca John Jacksornloliet, 111., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 26, 1942, Serial No. 436,343

1 Claim.

heated condition and then delivers the bundles horizontally over a bed with their central apertures or axes extending vertically. This delivery means is in the form of an intermittently operating drag conveyor, usually at floor level; and

from this intermittently operating drag conveyor the bundles are transferred to a continuously operating hook conveyor for further cooling, inspection, trimming, and additional processing. In effecting the transfer of the rod bundles from the intermittently operating drag conveyor onto the continuously operating hook conveyor, it is essential that the top of the bundle as it lies on the intermittently operating drag conveyor (which is the last end to leave the hot rod-rolling mill) face outwardly on the continuously operating hook conveyor, thus enabling free access in trimming.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive device for transferring the rod bundles from positions wherein their central apertures extend vertically, into positions which are right-angular thereto, the movement being such that what was formerly the top of the rod bundle becomes the trailing end thereof when moved into the said right-angular position.

Another object is the provision of a device of the class described which, besides being relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and operate, is also extremely durable in service.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claim, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the I invention, this being indicative of one of the num of the instrumentalities thereof in other phases of their operation. I

Figure 4 is an elevational view illustrating in end elevation some of the elements of Figure 3. Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the bed of an intermittently operating drag conveyor. This bed 2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 3 through which drag hooks d project. These drag hooks ii are driven in a suitable manner (not shown) and embody elongated portions which are adapted to extend vertically through the centers of the rod bundles being conveyed.

' it are closer together than the diameter of the of the apparatus of Figure 2 and illustrating some rod bundles, and the bundles are adapted to be raised thereby in an arc with the top portions thereof moving toward the rod mill.

Immediately beneath the parallel arms l2 there is disposed an electric motor having a conventional magnetic brake E6. The drive shaft of the motor is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speed reducer i8. At ach end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer It there is secured a crank 20. Each of the cranks '28 is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 22. V

The pivots, hereinafter designated 2%, for the parallel arms 52, carry bell crank levers 25 which are shown in the full-line position of Figure 2 as having short horizontal portions 25 and long downwardly depending portions 25*.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, each, of'the arms 12 is provided with a short longitudinally extending slot 2i. Beneath each of the slots 21 there is disposed a dog 29 comprising a V-shaped lever having one of its ends pivoted to the adjacent arm 12 and its free end 33 disposed for movement through the slot 21. are more clearly shown in Figure 2.

The long downwardly depending portions 25 of the bell crank levers 25 are adapted to engage, and accordingly raise and lower, the arms lZ-through the operation of the electric motor iii.

The pivoted side of eachof the dogs 29 is provided with-a slot 3i and the downwardly de-,

pending portion 25 of the adjacent bell crank These dogs 29' lever25 carries a pin 32 which rides in the slot. This permits the protrusion of the free ends 88 of the dogs 28 through the slots 21 in the arms l2. Thus the rod bundle is not only lifted by the arms l2 and moved in an arc, but it is prevented from sliding of! the arms l2 by means of the free ends 33 of the dogs 28.

As shown in Figure 2, a continuously operating hook conveyor is disposed to have its hooks move at approximate right-angles with respect to the direction of movement of the intermittently operating hook conveyor. This hook con- .veyor is provided with a number of hooks 35 which extend toward the drag conveyor.

As previously stated, it is among the objects of the present invention to move the raised rod bundle from the dotted-line position of Figure 2 onto one of the hooks 35 of the hook conveyor in such manner that the trailing end of the rod bundle is disposed on the outer side thereof. For this purpose there is provided the following construction and arrangement of instrumentalitles:

Above and along either side of the bed 2 there is disposed a longitudinally extending track 36.

A four-wheeled carriage 43 is disposed on, and adapted for movement along, the tracks 35.

Reciprocating motion is given the upper fourwheeled carriage 43 by an electric motor 58 which is disposed beneath the bed 2. This electric motor 58 is provided with a conventional magnetic brake The drive shaft of the motor 58 is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speed reducer 53. At one end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer 53 there is secured a crank 54 which is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 55.

Immediately above the outer end of the connecting rod 55 there is disposed a substantially vertically extending lever 51 which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as shown at 58.

The lower end of the lever 51 is short and is pivotally connected, as shown at 68, to the outer end of the adjacent connecting rod 55. The upper end of the lever 51 is long and is pivotally connected, as at 5|, to a link 62 which is, in turn, pivotally connected, as at 53, to the adjacent end of the four-wheeled carriage 43.

The four-wheeled carriage 43 carries an electric motor 55, the drive shaft of which is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speed reducer 61. At one end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer 51 there is secured a crank 59, which is pivotally connected to a connecting rod Ill.

The outer end of the connecting rod is provided with a longitudinally extending slot II immediately adjacent which there is pivotally mounted a bell crank lever I3. The upper end of this bell crank lever I3 is bifurcated and provided with a pin which rides in the slot H in the connecting rod 10. The lower end of the bell crank lever 13 is long and forms 9. prong II which is constructed and arranged to pick up rod bundles which have been elevated by the lifting arms l2 to the dotted-line position of Figure 2.

In operation:

A rod bundle is delivered by one of the hooks 4 of the intermittently operating drag conveyor to the position designated at A in Figures 1 and 2, at which'point it rests on the bed 2 of the drag conveyor and the rod bundle lifting arms II. The operation of' the electric motor I5 is .initiated in any suitable manner, whereupon the cranks 23 are caused to make one complete revolution, on completion of which the magnetic brake I5 is applied. This limited rotation of the cranks 28 is controlled by a limit switch 88 which is operated thereby. The rotation of the cranks 28 acting through the connecting rods 22 and the bell crank levers 25 first causes the dogs 28 to move to the position designated in dotted-lines at B in Figure 2. While in this position the free ends 33 of the dogs 28 are behind the rod bundle. At this time, the downwardly depending portions 25 of the bell crank levers 25 are raised into contact with the rod bundle lifting arms i2, causing the outer ends of the latter to rise. The rod bundle will slide backwardly untilit is resting against the free ends 33 of the dogs 28, whereby the rod bundle is carried to the position designated at C in Figure 2, whereby there is inserted in the central aperture of the rod bundle the prong II as shown in full-lines in Figure 2.

At this point of operation, an interlock between the limit switch 88 and a limit switch 8| which is operated by the driven shaft of the speed reducer i1, initiates the operation of the electrical motor 65. This causes the prong 1.1 to be elevated to the horizontal dotted-line position D shown in Figure 2. At this point, the limit switch 25 8i stops the motor 65.

As the rod bundle is raised from the position C by the prong ll, the rod bundle lifting arms l2 will continue in their cycle and recede downwardly from their uppermost position to their original horizontal position. The free ends 33 of the dogs 28 then recede to rest in a positio shown in full lines in Figure 2.

The operator then closes a manual switch when an empty hook 35 of the continuously operating hook conveyor reaches a predetermined position. At this point, there is operated in any suitable manner (not shown) the electric motor 58 which, through the connections referred to hereinbefore, advances the four-wheeled carriage 43, thereby moving the prong 11 from the horizontal position D shown in Figure 2 to the horizontal position F of the same figure, thus inserting the hook 35 into.the rod bundle. The motor 55 is then operated to lower the prong l1 and thereby drop the rod bundle onto the hook 35. During this time, the electric motor 58 continues to run, driving the crank 54 past dead center, causing the fourwheeled carriage 43 to recede and carry with it the prong 11 in its lowered position. This mo tion of the four-wheeled carriage 43 withdraws the prong i1.

When the four-wheeled carriage 43 reaches its rearward position, a magnetic brake 5i stops the motor and brings the four-wheeled carriage 43 to rest. An interlock of a limit switch I08 on the driving shaft of the speed reducer 53 with the limit switch 8| starts the motor 55 to return the prong II to its starting position. This completes the cycle of operation.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof, it will be understood that these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

Conveying apparatus for rod bundles comprising, incombination, a conveyor adapted to move the rod bundles in a substantially horizontal path with the axes thereof substantially vertical, a conveyor adapted to move said rod bundles in a path at substantial right angles with respect to the path of said first-named conveyor and with the axes thereofsubstantially horizontal, and

adapted to support the rod bundles during the latter part of the movement in the arcuate path and during the movement of the reciprocable truck toward said second-named conveyor and means for actuating said lowering means to lower said prong at the end of said movement in order to deposit the rod bundles directly onto said second-named conveyor, and means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said reciprocable 1 truck.

JOHN JACKSON. 

